title: Cactus: a medicinal food.
abstract: With excellent quality and flavour of fresh fruits, young leaves of cactus serve as nutritious vegetable and salad dish and the immature fruits for making mock-gherkins. Cactus, with high water use efficiency produce forage for animals, vegetables, and fruits with 14% glucose. Traditionally cactus used as a valuable health supporting nutrient and it also has applications in pharmaceutical industries. Cactus with number of uses has immense potential to be the food of future.
authors.affiliation: Department of Vegetable Science, G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar, 263145 India.
authors.forename: Anoop A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Shetty
authors.forename: M K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Rana
authors.forename: S P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Preetham
keywords: Cactus; Food; Medicine; Opuntia; Uses